CR,    ii-^bV 


Duke  University  Libraries 


D03209789 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 


Confederate  States  of    America,      } 
Executive  Office,  Richmond,  September  G,  1862.  ^ 

To  the  House  of  Representatives : 

I  herewith  transmit  a  communication  from  the  Secretary  of  War 
in  response  to  resolutions  of  your  body  requesting  information  con- 
cerning the  prosecution  of  the  work  on  the  railroad  for  connecting  the 
Richmond  and  Danville  with  the  North  Carolina  railroad,  and  also 
concerning  certain  orders  said  to  have  been  issued  by  Major  General 
Thomas  C.  Hindman  in  the  trans-Mississippi  Department. 

JEFFERSON   DAVIS. 


CoNFF.nF.RATF.    StATES    OF    AmF.RICA,         > 

AVar  Department,  Richmond,  September  5.  1862.  S 

His  Excellency,  Jefferson   Davis, 

Preside?!!  C.  S.  A. : 

Sir  :  I  have  received  the  two  resolutions  adopted  by  the  House 
of  Representatives  on  the  1st  instant,  and  referred  to  this  Department 
for  report  by  your  Excellency. 

In  reply  I  have  the  honor  to  report : 

I.  A  contract  has  been  made  with  the  Richmond  and  Danville 
Railroad  Company,  under  the  style  of  the  Piedmont  Railroad  Com- 
pany, for  the  completion  of  the  work.  The  company  has  secured  the 
charter  and  commenced  operations,  but  the  Department  is  not  informed 
of  their  progress. 

II.  The  Department  has  no  oflScial  information  of  the  conduct 
imputed  to  General  Hindman  ;  but  having  seen  orders  purporting  to 
come  from  him  declaring  martial  law  and  adopting  oppressive  police 
regulations  in  Arkansas,  General  Holmes  has  been  instructed  to  en- 
quire into  it,  and,  if  he  found  such  to  be  the  case,  to  rescind  the  dec- 
laration of  martial  law  and  the  regulations  adopted  to  carry  it  into 
effect.  General  Holmes  is  also  instructed  as  to  the  mode  of  executing 
the  conscript  law. 

General  Hindman  was  not  sent  to  Arkansas  by  the  Department, 
and  has  nevei  been  Commanding  General  of  the  trans- Mississippi  de- 
partment. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

GEO.    W.  RANDOLPH, 

,  Secretary  of  War. 


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